Gao Wu: I became a saint through daily settlements

The atmosphere in the lounge gradually became lively. Zhou Yuanwu moved closer to the window, his gaze fixed on the training ground below.

The arena was filled with a play of light and shadow, and displayed a dazzling array of various types of martial arts weapons, including knives, spears, clubs, swords, and halberds.

Whether held firmly in the hands of a martial artist, slung diagonally over the shoulder, or hanging by the side, each weapon gleamed with a cold metallic luster.

Many martial artists had already warmed up, with faint sounds of weapons cutting through the air and the cracking of muscles and bones stretching echoing throughout the room.

"With so many skilled fighters, it seems this competition is of a very high standard," Zhou Yuanwu remarked with awe.

This competition included three branch halls from Jiang Province, seven martial halls from Jiangsu Province and southern Anhui Province, and one martial hall from Jiangbei Province.

In terms of overall strength, Jiang Province's Martial Hall should be ranked in the middle.

However, most of the participants in this competition are at the Martial Artist level, which does not represent the true strength of each Martial Hall. The Martial Hall at the bottom of the rankings may still be able to take the lead this time.

Jing Ruoyi, standing to the side, remained calm, her gaze sweeping over the group of martial artists as she spoke softly:

"Those selected by each branch hall are all top-notch among their peers; none of them are easy to deal with."

Zhou Yuanwu looked at Lin Yue and couldn't help but ask:

"Speaking of Lin Yue, I heard Palace Master Zhao casually mention before that you're still a high school student?"

"Mm." Lin Yue nodded.

"Wow, that's amazing. A high school student can reach this level."

"I think you must have put in far more effort than ordinary people!" Zhou Yuanwu said firmly.

Learning martial arts is never something that can be accomplished overnight; it requires taking one step at a time.

"I just heard the Palace Master say that you came here for the Bone-Splitting Grass?"

"right."

Zhou Yuanwu's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Does that mean you're about to break through to the late stage of the Martial Artist realm?"

"Alright, stop asking so many questions. Let Lin Yue rest quietly for a while. It's best to avoid being agitated before a competition," Jing Ruoyi reminded him.

"Oh...sorry, sorry, I was too impatient." Zhou Yuanwu scratched his head, awkwardly retracted his words, and said no more.

……

Not long after, a staff member announced from outside the door that the draw for the competition was about to begin and all participants were requested to be present and in their positions.

"Let's go, it's time to enter." Zhou Yuanwu straightened his martial arts attire and straightened his expression.

After he finished speaking, he took the lead and walked out of the lounge and into the private elevator. Lin Yue and Jing Ruoyi followed closely behind, and the three of them walked together towards the martial arts arena at the bottom of the arena.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, a powerful aura of martial arts washed over me. The noisy yet orderly voices of people, the soft sounds of weapons clashing, and the breathing of martial artists intertwined together.

The vast circular training ground is magnificent and imposing, with its ground paved with specially made pressure-resistant alloy stone slabs, capable of withstanding the full force of a late-stage Martial Master.

The venue was surrounded by tiered viewing stands, where the provincial leaders and instructors were already seated, their eyes fixed on the young athletes entering the arena.

The head of the Southern Anhui branch hall glanced over the young contestants from Jiangxi Province, observing their upright postures and refined auras, and smiled as he spoke to Tang Long, the head of the Jiangxi branch hall beside him:

"The young talents from your Jiang Province this time are quite good. They are all full of energy and have sharp eyes. They are obviously good trainees who have worked hard."

Tang Long smiled slightly upon hearing this and calmly replied:

"Thank you for your praise. The young martial artists of your Southern Anhui branch are also quite impressive, each one exuding composure and confidence."

Upon hearing this, the head of the Jiangsu Provincial Martial Hall couldn't help but sigh:

"In the end, we old guys are getting old. The future of martial arts and the future of the Starry Sky Martial Hall will ultimately depend on these young people to shoulder the burden."

"Look at these kids, the fighting spirit in their eyes and the sharpness in their bodies are impossible to hide, their desire to fight is practically written on their faces."

……

"How magnificent!" Zhou Yuanwu exclaimed.

"Get yourself in the right state of mind. When you go on stage, give it your all and fight hard, show the spirit of the Jiang Province Martial Arts Hall!" Zhao Hengshan smiled and patted Zhou Yuanwu on the back.

"Understood! I promise I won't let you down!" Zhou Yuanwu's eyes suddenly hardened, and he nodded emphatically.

"Go ahead, go draw lots to determine your group assignments and opponents." Zhao Hengshan pointed to the draw area in the center of the arena.

"And you, Lin Yue, do your best this time and try to get the top three reward," Zhao Hengshan encouraged.

Although most of those present were experts at the late stage of the Martial Realm, Zhao Hengshan had high hopes for Lin Yue.

Ancient martial arts practitioners, although their level of skill may not be comparable to those of modern martial arts practitioners, do not mean that their strength is weaker than theirs.

Moreover, Lin Yue was already able to unleash most of his strength under three times the gravity.

"Go ahead," Zhao Hengshan said with a smile.

"Yes!" Lin Yue said excitedly.

"I must get the Bone-Splitting Grass," Lin Yue thought to himself.

Now, all that's missing is a Bone-Splitting Grass, and Lin Yue can begin refining his Martial Essence Pill. Lin Yue has decided to take this sparring match with 200% seriousness.

In the very center of the venue, there was a smart lottery machine with a screen that flickered slightly, waiting for everyone to draw lots to form groups.

At this moment, almost all forty contestants had arrived, each standing in their respective lines on either side, their breaths concentrated, ready to go.

Each figure was a martial arts prodigy handpicked by the provincial branches, a standout among their peers.

Lin Yue followed Zhou Yuanwu and Jing Ruoyi to the back of the group, his eyes quickly scanning the entire field, taking in the condition of all the opponents.

"Everyone is here."

On the high platform, Sun Yi walked out slowly, his posture upright. The aura of a sixth-level sword master spread out, instantly suppressing all the noise in the audience.

The entire arena fell silent instantly. All the young martial artists looked up, their eyes filled with awe as they gazed at the man on the high platform.

Sun Yi surveyed the entire arena with his gaze sweeping over everyone, his voice booming and clearly amplified throughout the training ground via the martial arts amplification system:

"Welcome to the headquarters in Handong, all provincial branch palace elites."

"The purpose of this cross-provincial martial arts friendly sparring is to exchange martial arts skills and share strengths. At the same time, the bone-cracking grass is used as a reward to encourage everyone to improve their training."

"The rules have already been issued. Four people will be in a group and the points will be awarded in a round-robin format. A win will earn three points, a draw will earn one point, and a loss will earn zero points. The top two in each group will advance to the quarterfinals, followed by a single-elimination format to determine the top three."

"I have only one requirement—stop while the iron is hot. Malicious injury or crippling of cultivation is strictly prohibited. Violators will be disqualified immediately and permanently removed from the Starry Sky Martial Hall's martial arts archives!"

"clear!"

"Now, the drawing of lots begins!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Yi raised his hand to signal the staff to turn on the lottery machine.

The screen of the intelligent lottery machine lit up instantly, with densely packed group numbers scrolling and jumping rapidly, the light and shadow intertwining at an extremely fast speed.

Staff members called out names in the order of the pre-determined halls, and contestants from each province took turns drawing lots.

Not long after, it was the turn of the Jiangcheng branch hall.

"Jiangcheng Branch Hall, Zhou Yuanwu!"

Zhou Yuanwu took a deep breath, strode forward, and pressed a button on the lottery machine. The screen froze, showing the sixth group.

"The Jiangcheng branch hall is perfectly unified!"

Jing Ruoyi stepped forward to draw lots, landing in the ninth group.

Finally, the staff's gaze fell on Lin Yue, and a voice rang out: "Jiangcheng Branch Hall, Lin Yue!"

Lin Yue stepped forward slowly and gently tapped the screen.

The screen flickered rapidly, then froze abruptly two seconds later.

Group Three!

……

After a brief draw, the group members were assigned to different groups.

"Lin Yue, you'd better be careful. Your group has Han Lie," Jing Ruoyi reminded him.

Han Lie's reputation is well-known among his peers.

"It won't be easy to face him."

Lin Yue listened silently and nodded.

"This Han Lie is a skilled swordsman. He has already mastered the second-tier swordsmanship three months ago, and he is very strong."

"I understand, thank you for reminding me." Lin Yue thanked Jing Ruoyi.

After all the lottery results were released, the staff projected the group assignments onto a holographic screen above the training ground.

Group 3: Lin Yue (Jiangcheng), Han Lie (Jiangbei), Zheng Chengfeng (Southern Anhui), Lu Xiaoman (Jiangsu Province).

……

On the other side, in the rest area of ​​the Jiangbei Provincial Branch Hall.

A lean, sharp-eyed young man sat cross-legged on a chair, his eyes slightly closed and his breathing deep and slow.

A long sword, about three feet long, lay across his lap. The scabbard was ancient and simple, with a faint, cold glint emanating from its opening.

It was Han Lie.

"Han Lie, you're in Group Three." A short, stout young man walked over and handed over a holographic projection screen.

"These two from Jiangsu Province and southern Anhui are quite strong, having already reached the late stage of the Martial Artist realm."

"Your first opponent is Lin Yue from Jiang Province, whose cultivation level is probably in the mid-stage of the Martial Artist realm."

"Jiangcheng?" Han Lie opened his eyes, his gaze indifferent.

"What decent opponents could come from such a small place?" Han Lie's lips curled into a slight sneer.

"They're just occupying a spot and dragging our Starry Sky Martial Hall down."

Although each martial hall is a branch of the Starry Sky Martial Hall, most of them secretly compete with each other. The reason for this is the uneven distribution of resources.

Although stronger martial halls can receive more resources, in order to balance the strength of different regions, weaker martial halls can also receive roughly the same amount of resources. Therefore, some people are more or less dissatisfied.

"I advise you not to underestimate your opponent," the short, stout young man warned.

"I have never known what it means to underestimate an opponent. I only know that I am here to take first place."

Upon hearing this, the short, stout young man stopped talking.

Han Lie is as aptly named; he has a very volatile temper.

……

At 10:00 AM, the group assignments and schedules for all groups were finalized.

The official competition is scheduled to start at 2 p.m., and the rest of the morning is free time.

Lin Yue did not linger in the training ground. Instead, he returned to the rest room alone, took out his Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword), and slowly swung it in the open space inside.

Although the lounge space is limited, he doesn't need any big, sweeping moves; he just needs to maintain his touch.

The blade sliced ​​through the air, producing a low hum.

Lin Yue closed his eyes.

"Swordsmanship is not about how flashy the moves are, but about the mind, the eyes, and the hands working in unison."

"If there is even the slightest hesitation in your heart when you strike with a slash, the blade will lose its soul."

"When you hold a knife, the knife becomes your hands and feet, your breath, and your heartbeat."

Lin Yue took a deep breath, and the Mo Dao in his hand seemed to become one with him.

The blade pointed into the void, each swing precise and restrained, without any unnecessary sound.

After some time, there was a knock on the door.

"Lin Yue, dinner's ready." It was Zhou Yuanwu's voice.

Lin Yue sheathed his sword, opened his eyes, and found that he was covered in a light sweat without realizing it.

"They're here."

……

The dining hall of the Martial Hall is located on the third floor. It is quite large and has a wide variety of ingredients, all of which are provided free of charge to the contestants.

Considering that the first round of matches would begin in the afternoon, Lin Yue exercised great restraint and did not overeat.

Only a moderate amount of easily digestible, high-protein refined ingredients are selected, paired with a bowl of warm and nourishing health soup, providing light replenishment, stabilizing the state, and avoiding the impact of fullness on limb strength and agility.

Zhou Yuanwu, carrying a full plate of food, quickly sat down opposite Lin Yue, put down the plate, and lowered his voice, speaking earnestly:

"Your first match of the first round this afternoon is against Han Lie, right?"

"Yes, Group 3, Match 1." Lin Yue nodded.

"I watched the recordings of Han Lie's previous matches. His blade is very fast, and he's the kind of ruthless person who leaves no room for retreat and attacks relentlessly." Zhou Yuanwu lowered his voice and shared the information he had gathered.

"His second-tier sword technique is called 'Wind-Breaking Blade,' characterized by its extremely fast blade speed and tricky angles of attack, making it specifically effective against defensive opponents."

Lin Yue listened quietly without interrupting.

"However, he is not without weaknesses!" Zhou Yuanwu changed the subject.

"He relies too much on his speed. Once he encounters an opponent who is physically stronger and can withstand his attacks, his rhythm is easily disrupted."

"He lost to that prodigy from Handong Province before because the other party completely ignored his sword speed, stood his ground against the blade's light, and sent him flying with a single strike."

"Tough it out?" Lin Yue nodded thoughtfully.

……

By 1:30 p.m., the training ground was already packed.

The hall masters, instructors, and accompanying personnel from various provincial branches all took their seats, their eyes focused on the octagonal arena in the center of the arena.

An energy shield device is installed at the edge of the arena. When activated, it can prevent energy leakage from those below the Martial Master level, ensuring the safety of the audience.

Four huge holographic screens hang above the arena, displaying the real-time progress and scores of each group's matches.

"All contestants, please take your positions. The first round of the competition will begin in fifteen minutes," came the staff's voice over the loudspeaker.

Lin Yue walked out of the lounge, carrying a long sword in his hand.

The blade gleamed with a cold luster in the sunlight, and the unique design of the Mo Dao attracted a lot of attention.

"Is that a Mo Dao?" someone in the audience exclaimed in surprise.

"It really is a Mo Dao (陌刀), are there still people practicing with it these days?"

"Which branch's contestant is this? They're incredibly audacious! The Mo Dao (陌刀) is clumsy and slow, with a slow attack speed, which is a huge disadvantage in this kind of fast-paced sparring match. It's simply not suitable for competitive combat!"

"They probably don't understand modern martial arts fighting techniques and are just using ancient weapons to make up the numbers. They probably won't last more than a few rounds before they're defeated."

Whispers rose and fell, some curious, some disdainful, and some watching the spectacle with amusement.

Lin Yue ignored him and walked straight to the waiting area for Group Three.

As soon as I arrived at the waiting area, I saw a lean young man leaning against the railing, glancing at me sideways.

It was Han Lie.

"You're that mid-stage martial artist from Jiangcheng?" Han Lie looked Lin Yue up and down, his gaze lingering on the Mo Dao in Lin Yue's hand for a moment, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.

"Ancient martial arts practitioners? The Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword)? Interesting."

Lin Yue looked at him calmly without saying a word.

Han Lie wasn't annoyed that Lin Yue didn't respond; he simply said calmly:

"Later on the stage, I'll show you that those ancient martial arts techniques should have been obsolete long ago."